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Last week I had a heart attack. The stent was placed in the widow maker artery and I'm now on medications. i was not on any medications at all and so this is rather shocking but more importantly I'm worried about the side effects of statins. There are so many positives and negatives about CoQ10. What is your opinion on their ability be of value in this situation? Thanks

Thanks for your Reply!

2 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Coq10 after a stentLast week I had a heart attack. The stent was placed in the widow maker artery and I'm now on medications. i was not on any medications at all and so this is rather shocking but more importantly I'm worried about the side effects of statins. There are so many positives and negatives about CoQ10. What is your opinion on their ability be of value in this situation? Thanks

Statins (which also can reduce natural levels of CoQ10 in the body) are good for some individuals, bad (side effects/adverse reactions, such as memory loss, muscle aches/pains) for others. On an individualized case-by-case basis, the benefits of taking a statin (as well as CoQ10) must clearly outweigh the risks.

VP hides well-away within the vessel wall (essentially a 0% blockage, but still unequivocal atherosclerosis), can't even be seen with invasive X-ray angiography, causes no advance warning signs/symptoms, and is now recognized worldwide as the cause of the majority of heart attacks by way of plaque rupture causing a blood clot (thrombus).

Statins also have anti-inflammatory properties and as applicable to the patient, thus lowers C-reactive protein (CRP/hs-CRP). Inflammation is recognized as a major player in the development and progression of atherosclerosis.

Additionally, as reported, a risk factor merely increases the probability that one will develop cardiovascular disease, BUT doesn't 100% guarantee that one will develop it, nor does its absence (or even the absence of ALL known risk factors) 100% guarantee that one won't have a heart attack or brain attack.

Also, it is said that medicine is a science of uncertainty and an act of probability, and for many, prescription drug-therapy is a hit or miss, trial and error affair.

Side effects/adverse reactions can not be predicted or pre-determined. If/when side effects occur, this may/can diminish or disappear as the body adjusts itself to the drug, though sometimes, one will simply not be able to tolerate a certain drug (or drugs) at all, at any dose.

Factors and conditions such as age height, weight, gender, genetics and metabolism may/can come into play in determining who experiences side effects and who does not.

Pharmacogenomics, the study of the interplay between genes and drugs, helps to explain why prescription drugs have different effects in different individuals. Genetic variation in one or more genes may be the basis for a therapeutic failure or for an adverse drug reaction.

Without lowering the dosage (unless applicable), sometimes, taking a particular prescription drug at a different time of the day or taking it with food may/can improve the side effect-related situation.

Sometimes, changing to another same-class drug or taking a lower dose of the drug along with another class of drug (for a combo-action) may/can impove the side effect-related situation.

The bottom line

Coronary stents (bare-metal or drug-eluting) are only a Band-aid or spot-treatment, and bypass surgery is only a clever way of temporarily circumventing the problem (atherosclerosis), as these procedures do not address the disease process and what drives the progression.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a lifelong unpredictable (may/can exhibit periods of stabilization, acceleration and even some regression) condition requiring a continuum of care

Keep ALL known modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (which actually begins very early in life, even as early as in the pre-teen/teenage years) closely in-check.

Best of luck down the road of life.

Take care,

CardioStar*

WebMD member (since 8/99)

-

-

Be well-informed

One example of complimentary medicine is the use of the supplement Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 or ubiquinone, a vitamin-like substance).

Statins (which also can reduce natural levels of CoQ10 in the body) are good for some individuals, bad (side effects/adverse reactions, such as memory loss, muscle aches/pains) for others. On an individualized case-by-case basis, the benefits of taking a statin (as well as CoQ10) must clearly outweigh the risks.

VP hides well-away within the vessel wall (essentially a 0% blockage, but still unequivocal atherosclerosis), can't even be seen with invasive X-ray angiography, causes no advance warning signs/symptoms, and is now recognized worldwide as the cause of the majority of heart attacks by way of plaque rupture causing a blood clot (thrombus).

Statins also have anti-inflammatory properties and as applicable to the patient, thus lowers C-reactive protein (CRP/hs-CRP). Inflammation is recognized as a major player in the development and progression of atherosclerosis.

Additionally, as reported, a risk factor merely increases the probability that one will develop cardiovascular disease, BUT doesn't 100% guarantee that one will develop it, nor does its absence (or even the absence of ALL known risk factors) 100% guarantee that one won't have a heart attack or brain attack.

Also, it is said that medicine is a science of uncertainty and an act of probability, and for many, prescription drug-therapy is a hit or miss, trial and error affair.

Side effects/adverse reactions can not be predicted or pre-determined. If/when side effects occur, this may/can diminish or disappear as the body adjusts itself to the drug, though sometimes, one will simply not be able to tolerate a certain drug (or drugs) at all, at any dose.

Factors and conditions such as age height, weight, gender, genetics and metabolism may/can come into play in determining who experiences side effects and who does not.

Pharmacogenomics, the study of the interplay between genes and drugs, helps to explain why prescription drugs have different effects in different individuals. Genetic variation in one or more genes may be the basis for a therapeutic failure or for an adverse drug reaction.

Without lowering the dosage (unless applicable), sometimes, taking a particular prescription drug at a different time of the day or taking it with food may/can improve the side effect-related situation.

Sometimes, changing to another same-class drug or taking a lower dose of the drug along with another class of drug (for a combo-action) may/can impove the side effect-related situation.

The bottom line

Coronary stents (bare-metal or drug-eluting) are only a Band-aid or spot-treatment, and bypass surgery is only a clever way of temporarily circumventing the problem (atherosclerosis), as these procedures do not address the disease process and what drives the progression.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a lifelong unpredictable (may/can exhibit periods of stabilization, acceleration and even some regression) condition requiring a continuum of care

Keep ALL known modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (which actually begins very early in life, even as early as in the pre-teen/teenage years) closely in-check.

Best of luck down the road of life.

Take care,

CardioStar*

WebMD member (since 8/99)

-

-

Be well-informed

One example of complimentary medicine is the use of the supplement Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 or ubiquinone, a vitamin-like substance).

CoQ10 is a natural substance to aid energy production in mitochondria. My cardiologist suggested it as one of the few supplements I take. I began taking it in March 2006, and I don't think I have had any side effects from it.

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:Coq10 after a stentCoQ10 is a natural substance to aid energy production in mitochondria. My cardiologist suggested it as one of the few supplements I take. I began taking it in March 2006, and I don't think I have had any side effects from it.

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